Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “client”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “client”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 2 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Pronamic Client shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Widgets for Google Reviews places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 2667 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 InfiniteWP Client 200K+ · 4.4★ (177) wp.org #1 2 Jetpack CRM – Clients, Leads, Invoices, Billing, Email Marketing, & Automation 30K+ · 4.3★ (152) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too low 3 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (195) wp.org #8 ↑10 5 too low 4 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Logo Carousel – Responsive Logo Slider, Logo Showcase, and Clients Logo Gallery 20K+ · 4.7★ (162) wp.org #12 7 too low 6 Ultimate Client Dash 2K+ · 4.8★ (10) wp.org #4 ↑1 2 too high 7 OAuth Single Sign On – SSO (OAuth Client) 6K+ · 4.9★ (327) wp.org #16 ↓6 9 too low 8 WP Client Reports 6K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Logo Slider – Logo Showcase, Logo Carousel, Logo Gallery and Client Logo Presentation 30K+ · 4.7★ (252) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #23 13 too low 11 Automattic For Agencies Client 20K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 9 too high 12 Client Portal – Private user pages and login 3K+ · 4.3★ (23) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 Sunshine Photo Cart – Client Photo Gallery & Photo Proofing for Photographers 1K+ · 4.7★ (138) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #21 ↑2 7 too low 15 Sprout Invoices – Client Invoicing & Estimates 1K+ · 4.4★ (191) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 SureFeedback Client Site 5K+ · 4.0★ (39) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 O OpenID Connect Generic Client 10K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #18 ↓2 1 too low 18 User Private Files – Secure File Sharing and Client Portal Plugin 1K+ · 4.4★ (57) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 Easy MCP AI – Connect Claude to WordPress: MCP Server for ChatGPT & AI Agents 30K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #19 ↑2 20 Shop as Client for WooCommerce – Manual, Phone & Email Orders 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #10 ↓1 10 too high 21 Simple Client Dashboard 2K+ · 4.5★ (26) wp.org #15 6 too high 22 Pronamic Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 16 too high 23 getLaw WP API Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 Logo Carousel – showcase client logos professionally 800+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #22 ↓2 2 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.